Ash's Big Brother
by Quill Xarxes
Summary: Ash finds he isn't really an only child! But... who is his brother?


Ash's Big Brother  
Quill Xarxes  
  
Another rotten day. James had just been shocked, burned, vine whipped, stun spored, thrown into a giant rosebush and was now covered head to toe in thorns. To make matters worse, it was starting to rain.  
He sat under a willow tree and tried to dry off, but his efforts were futile, he was soaked, "I might as well wait to die." He said ironically. He didn't expect what was going to happen next. One of the willow boughs broke off in the storm. It hit James in the head, rendering him unconscious.  
  
  
On their way to Pallet town, Ash and Misty were having another one of their famous arguments.  
  
  
  
"Well if you had suggested using them in the first place, we never would have..." Ash tripped over something.brbr  
"It's..." Misty was frightened, "James from Team Rocket?!"  
  
  
"Is he..." Ash asked.  
  
  
"I don't know." Misty checked for a pulse, but found none.  
  
  
"You won't find a pulse if you check there Misty." Ash said. He tried and found a pulse, "OK he's alive but what do you think happened to him?"  
  
  
"I don't know," Misty said, "but we have to get going."  
  
  
Ash suddenly felt bad, "We can't just leave him here."  
  
  
Misty shrugged, "I guess not."  
  
  
So they carried James all the way to Pallet Town. Ya know, he isn't really too heavy. I don't think. Too far off the subject, back to the story.  
  
  
James awoke in a place he had never seen before. The lights were searing bright, and when his eyes finally focused he saw who was in front of him.  
  
  
Ash, Misty, and Prof. Oak were talking in the corner. Mrs. Ketchum was staring at James, as if in a trance.  
  
  
"What happened?" James asked. His head hurt. Bad. But he had other worries. He was in the house of the enemy.  
  
  
Mrs. Ketchum shed a tear from her eye and flung her arms around James' neck, "My boy! I haven't seen even a picture of you for ten years!  
  
  
James got frightened. Some strange woman was hugging him... very tight, "I... need... AIR!"  
  
  
"You..." Mrs. Ketchum started, "You don't remember me."  
  
  
James felt the sudden rush of guilt, "I, I'm sorry but I don't."  
  
  
Ash was dazed. He hadn't a clue what was going on until his mom said them shattering words, "James, you're my son."  
  
  
James' eyes widened, "No. You aren't. My parents are..."  
  
  
"Yes I am your mother!" Mrs. Ketchum interrupted, "I had the choice to either give you up for adoption or have you aborted!"  
  
  
James almost flew backward hearing that word. Aborted. As in not giving him a chance. She chose to save him. He felt a tear in his heart, "Why didn't my parents tell me?"  
  
  
"That wasn't my choice." Mrs. Ketchum said, "That was theirs. I don't know why they didn't."  
  
  
Ash was stunned, "You mean...?"  
  
  
Mrs. Ketchum nodded, "Yes, Ash. He's your brother.  
  
  
James got up and ran outside. He sat next to the door and sobbed into his glove. He was definitely not prepared for this trouble. Ash came out and sat next to him, "I guess it's really bad to find out we're related, huh."  
  
  
James shook his head, "That's not it. All these years I thought those people were my parents. I wish your mom never would have given me up! I hate my parents."  
  
  
James got up and started to walk away. Ash got in front of him, blocking his exit, "You can't leave now!"  
  
  
"And exactly why not!"  
  
  
"Mom would be heartbroken! She hasn't seen you for so long! I always wondered why she was always so depressed!"  
  
  
"So I guess I just bring trouble everywhere I go." James stepped around Ash and continued.  
  
  
"Please?" Ash shed a tear. He could care less if James stayed or left, but he didn't want to see his mom cry.  
  
  
James suddenly felt an urge to be nice for once, "OK, I'll stay. But only a few days. To straighten things out."  
  
  
Unlike planned, James stayed with the Ketchums for weeks. Ash and James actually got along. They started acting like brothers. They even shared a room, they shared secrets (mostly Ash), and they shared their lives. But James never seemed very happy.  
  
  
One night, Ash awoke to see James staring out the window. His eyes were glazed over, almost as if he'd been crying. Ash was wrecked, "What's wrong, Jim?"  
  
  
James looked to the ground and just started to cry. Ash pleaded for him to talk, but he refused. Ash gave up and went to sleep. James stayed up all night.  
  
  
The next couple nights were the same thing. James wouldn't sleep, and the little sleep he received came to him from a puddle of tears. He was depressed, as if he thought nobody cared.brbr  
One night, after the normal routine, Ash was awoken by the sound of the window opening. He sat up to see James crawling out of the window.  
  
  
"Where are you going?" Ash said.  
  
  
James was startled by being interrupted, but came inside for a moment, "I'm leaving."  
  
  
Ash was shocked. This is the thanks his family gets?  
  
  
"I know exactly what you're thinking, Ash. But... let's talk a minute." James seemed much more calm than he normally did.  
  
  
Ash started to cry, "Why are you leaving now?"brbr  
"Listen," James said, "You have all been very nice to me. This has been a very comfortable stay. But it's a prison."  
  
  
Ash was shocked at the anomaly James was describing, "A prison?"  
  
  
James sighed, noticing maybe he had chosen the wrong wording for what he was trying to say, "Yes, Ash. It's a prison. The bars are your mother's tears."  
  
  
Ash was annoyed that James had always referred to Mrs. Ketchum as "Ash's Mom" and never his own, but he let James continue.  
  
  
"I love you Ash, as a relative. But I can't stay here. I have other things to do."  
  
  
Ash decided to be rude, "And go break the law?"  
  
  
James rolled his eyes, "You know that's not all I do!" He suddenly felt like he had been the rude one. He grabbed a pad of paper and started to scribble on it.  
  
  
"Now what are you doing?"  
  
  
"I'm writing a note to Mom. And one for you too. I was planning to leave some in the mailbox, but I guess this is better." He gave Ash two folded pieces of paper, "Don't open them until I'm gone, OK?"  
  
  
"OK." Ash said as James slipped out the window.  
  
  
Before James left, he said something else, "Ash, despite the fun we had in the last few weeks, we make much better enemies than brothers. You know that."  
  
  
Ash got angered, "You leave just when we start to know each other! You really are the villain! I can't believe this!"  
  
  
James was already gone. Off to find and reunite with Jessie and Meowth. The next morning, Ash gave his Mom the note James had left for her. A tear fell from her eye as she read it, and put it in her pocket.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Epilogue:   
  
Ash never read the note. He was too discouraged. He did not know it was James' apology and directions to where they could find each other. Ash never saw his brother alive again.  
  
  
The only reason James left Pallet was to say goodbye to Jessie and Meowth. He had left instructions for Ash in his letter to meet him in Cerulean City and he would explain everything. When Ash never showed, James got depressed and tried to rejoin Jessie and Meowth. He died before he could find them. He was only eighteen.  
  
  
Mrs. Ketchum blamed James' disappearance on herself. She confined herself to the house, and cried all night. No matter how much Ash tried to comfort her, she was hopeless. When Officer Jenny phoned her to inform her of her son's death, she was devastated. She killed herself after the funeral.  
  
  
Misty and Ash got married, but the whole incidence had scarred them both. They soon grew intolerant of themselves and got divorced.  
  
  
After they were divorced, Misty found out she was pregnant. When she had the baby, she realized she could not take care of it, and put it up for adoption. She hasn't seen even a picture of him in ten years.  
  



End file.
